Monthly update – July 2024
Stock markets increased slightly in July with the world index up 1.7 percent, measured in US dollars. A significant rotation from former stock market winners, mainly in technology, to value stocks and smaller companies was an important phenomenon during the month. The technology companies’ reports indicated slightly lower growth momentum, while smaller companies on the […]
Monthly summary – June 2024
Events during the month of June centered on the continuing geopolitical unrest around the world. The war in Ukraine intensified, negotiations to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip failed, and Putin and Kim Jong Un deepened their cooperation. Financially, June saw overall strong equity markets, especially for the technology sector, but consumer-driven companies in […]
Monthly summary – May 2024
Artificial Intelligence and earnings trumped rates and politics. Even though worries over possible rate cut delays by central banks, and the increasingly uncertain political and geopolitical landscape weighed down on investor sentiment, equity markets overall rose in May, led yet again by technology stocks. Interest rate setback The stickier-than-expected inflation made for yet another setback […]
Monthly summary – April
Rates and geopolitics versus earnings! Following five months of positive equity market returns, April turned out to be a somewhat harder month to navigate. The hopes for fast upcoming cuts from central banks were again dashed by stickier inflation, especially in the US, leading to yet another delay in when it could be expected. At […]
Monthly summary – January 2024
Happy New Year! January turned out to be the third consecutive month with positive stock market returns overall despite investors’ initial hesitation. After the very strong finish in 2023, with November and December delivering bumper price increases, the new year however started off on a more apprehensive note. This was due not least to the […]
Monthly summary – March 2023
During the latter part of 2022 and in the first two months of this year, bank shares performed strongly on the perception that higher interest rates generally improve bank earnings. However, that view came to a screeching halt when Silicon Valley Bank went under in a matter of a few days and was taken over […]